344 W Main St

East Palestine, OH 44413

$69,900B+

3 bd · 1.5 ba · 1,791 sqft · Built 1930 · SingleFamily · Pending · 75 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,385/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$367
• Tax + insurance: −$198
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$291
• Net cashflow: $529/mo
• Annual: $6,350/yr
• Cap rate: 16.33%
• Cash-on-cash: 35.85%
• DSCR: 2.60
• 1% rule: 1.98%
• Cash to close: $19,572

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/1.5-bath single-family listed at $70k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $529 ($6k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $70k).
• It's been on market 75 days — a 6% lower offer ($66k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $66k (6.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $483 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $2k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 73/100 on livability (#325 in OH) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: crime A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: health & safety C-, employment D, amenities F.
• East Palestine City (town): math 50% / reading 57% proficiency, ranked #405 of 656 in OH (top 62%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Zoned schools: East Palestine Elementary School (math 67% / reading 47%, grade C+, #729 of 1,584 statewide, top 48%, 441 students, 47% FRL); East Palestine Middle School (math 46% / reading 61%, grade C+, #362 of 654 statewide, top 57%, 273 students, 44% FRL); East Palestine High School (math 32% / reading 62%, grade D-, #435 of 781 statewide, top 59%, 274 students, 46% FRL) — zoned schools at 46% FRL track the district average.
• Watch-outs: flood insurance adds $56/mo; built in 1930 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 21 active listings in the ZIP; 49 units permitted in Columbiana County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Columbiana County population projected at -23% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• 3 sale attempts; this cycle's ask has dropped $10k (13%) from the opening price — seller is motivated, your offer sets the floor, not the list.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $20k cash investment doubles in ~4 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Climate carrying-cost: severe flood risk — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
• This rent runs 33% of the median local income ($51k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.

Questions for listing agent

• It's been on market 75 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 6% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1930 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• What's the actual annual flood-insurance premium (NFIP or private), and is the property in a SFHA with mandatory coverage?
• Why hasn't it sold? Are there any deal-killer items the seller is aware of (foundation, flood, title, zoning, code violations)?
• Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
• Schools are B-rated — typically a magnet for longer-tenancy family renters. What's the average tenant stay here, and is there a school-zone premium baked into asking?
• What's the average days-on-market for RENTAL listings here right now (not sales)? A rising rental-DOM trend means longer vacancies and softer asking-rent achievability than the comps imply.
• What's the recent tenant-quality profile in this submarket — average credit score on applications, eviction rate, late-payment / NSF rate, and stable-employment percentage? A property-management company in the area should have these aggregated.